St Agnes Mines - Penhalls Mine

Grid reference SW726511

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Just a quarter of a mile northeast of St. Agnes lies the setts of Wheal Kitty and Penhalls Mine. The northern section of the land bordering the coast between Trevaunance Cove and Trevellas Porth was the sett of Penhalls Mine whilst the southern section belonged to Wheal Kitty.

In reality Wheal Kitty is the survivor of several smaller concerns around this area. In the early nineteenth century, there were operations at Goonlaze, Wheal Pink and Wheal Vottle as well as about a dozen others. These amalgamated into the larger Penhalls Mine which operated on its own until 1884. Wheal Kitty meanwhile had been operating from at least 1830 as a very successful tin mine. Copper and iron pyrites were also mined on a smaller scale. In 1904 Wheal Kitty and Penhalls joined forces to become Penhalls United. For a map of this area please click

Mining historian Thomas Spargo writes in his report of 1865 entitled 'The mines of Cornwall and Devon; statistics and observations' that Penhalls Mine, was
'... in St. Agnes, Cornwall, in 5,000 shares. Secretary, Mr. E. King, London. Purser, Mr. Joseph Newton, Castle House, St. Agnes. Manager, Captain William Higgins, Peterville, St. Agnes. Landowners, Duke of Buckingham, and Messrs. Davey and St. Aubyn. Dues, l-22nd. Depth of adit, 40 fathoms ; depth under adit, 60 fathoms. Pumping-engine, 50-inch. Stamping-engine, 36-inch. Rock, clay-slate. The mine is very ancient, beyond all record, but the present Company was formed in 1858'.

'World Heritage' status has been gained for this area. Cornwall in Focus are waiting to see just how Penhalls Mine fits into the overall mine restoration framework.

For those of you with possibly a little more time to explore, once you've done 'the tourist bit', why not explore Cornwall's industrial heritage through its Tin and Copper Mines or learn more from my Cornish Bookstore